Many brides in advance of the wedding stock up on a garter, which they put on their legs under the wedding dress. However, not everyone knows where this tradition came from and why a bride's garter is needed. This intimate garment has a rich history that, like many other elegant customs, began in Europe.

Gradually, they began to focus on the Western ones, so the question of why a bride needs a garter accompanies almost every girl into married life.

Superstition or fashion

V different cultures associated with the wedding have been developed over the centuries. This was done in order to make the wedding ideal both for oneself and for higher powers. Each stage of the wedding was thought out to the smallest detail, and in the end looked like a well-rehearsed performance.

Now some wedding traditions, which have nevertheless survived at least in a modified form, are observed, because it is so customary. This is a kind of support for their own culture, so some couples do not even think that something can be changed in the usual wedding scenario.

Many traditions are borrowed from other peoples. The resulting symbiosis of customs is needed not to butter up the spirits and gods, as before, but to make the wedding the way the newlyweds themselves want. Since there is no longer a rigid framework for holding a wedding ceremony, the bride and groom are free to arrange their holiday in any format.

Do I need an accessory

Before explaining why a garter to a bride at a wedding, let us turn to the history of this item.

In the Russian language there was no word "garter" until the French told about this wardrobe item.

The accessory itself is a wide or narrow strip of fabric with an elastic band. Now garters are richly decorated with ruffles, ribbons, lace, rhinestones and other decor, but earlier the design was simple.

This part had only a practical function - to support lower part pantaloons for men and women during balls.

Let's list the reasons why the bride wears a garter on her leg.

• The girl will be able to feel more confident, knowing that her image is impeccable, and all the details, including the hidden garter, emphasize her attractiveness and harmonize with each other.
• This detail can be kept in the family as a keepsake along with a wedding dress and veil. Some girls even pass on their own garters to their daughters when they are about to get married.
• Another important reason why a bride needs a garter on her leg - there is a tradition of throwing this accessory of the bride to unmarried men. It is believed that the one who catches the seductive thing is the next to marry.

Entertainment or ritual

The custom of throwing a garter originated in the United States in the 90s of the last century. Until that time, this wardrobe item, and even more so why a wedding garter was needed, was hardly remembered, since with the invention of tights and trousers, people no longer needed to support stockings and pantaloons. Gradually, the tradition of throwing this little thing spread to other countries, including outside Europe.

It is believed that, together with the bride's bouquet, the garter helps single wedding guests find their happiness.

The groom removes this detail from the feet of the hero of the occasion, and this is done in public. In order not to embarrass herself and others, the bride can lower the garter in advance or immediately put it on about 15 cm above the knee. After she is in the hands of the groom, he throws it to the unmarried men, who decided to try their luck.

Over time, the Americans have added some rules to this custom.

• The optimal time for the ceremony is after. Nothing will stop the guests from participating in this kind of competition.
• First, the groom throws the garter, and only then. At Russian weddings, the opposite usually happens.
• The groom takes the bride in his arms, puts her on a chair, "dives" under the dress and takes off the seductive thing with his teeth, and then again, without the help of his hands, throws it into the crowd of bachelors. In our country, a girl usually sits, and her lover acts with his hands.

The beauty of such traditions is that it is not necessary to follow them as written - you can make your own changes if they fit better into the overall concept of the wedding. For example, if a girl is shy, then she can take off the garter herself and give it to the groom, or you can do without this detail altogether, replacing it with a boutonniere or a flower from the newlywed's bouquet.

The history of the origin of the tradition

There are several versions of the emergence of the tradition of throwing the garter. One of them tells that a certain English king at one of the balls saw how his beloved dropped the ribbon from her leg.

To earn the girl's favor, he did not fail to seize the opportunity and raised the garter to return it to its owner, but saw smirks on the faces of his subjects.

Then the king publicly announced that the ribbon of his lady of the heart was designed to bring him good luck in love, so he tied the accessory on his own leg. Later, this monarch even established the Order of the Garter, which still exists in England.

Europeans have long believed that newlyweds on their wedding day simply radiate good luck and happiness, and therefore after the completion of the ceremony earlier guests tried to take a piece of the bride's dress or the groom's suit as a souvenir. In order not to turn the holiday into a booth and undressing, a garter was invented - the only attribute that the hero of the occasion could give to someone present for good luck.

Wedding planner

In some weddings, throwing a bouquet and a garter is combined into one ritual. The man who caught this bride's accessory puts it on the leg of the girl who got the flowers. After that, the couple dances a slow dance, and many believe that fate brought them together to get married.

Elena Sokolova

Reader

The bride will be able to pleasantly surprise her groom during the wedding night with a beautifully decorated spicy garter.

Tamara Solntseva

According to another version, the tradition also originated in England, but under different circumstances. In some counties, there was a custom, according to which the guests at the wedding did not allow the bride to leave the altar after the ceremony, trying to remove the garter from her leg. Since there was a terrible confusion, and sometimes a real crush, the brides began to take off the little thing on their own and throw it into the crowd of eager guests.

Why a bride is wearing a garter is now known, but earlier, in England, after graduation wedding ceremony unmarried young men arranged a kind of race from church to the bride's house. The one who came first received the right to remove the garter from the hero of the occasion and leave it for good luck.

If this young man had a beloved, then he gave the detail to her, as a symbol of love and fidelity. The bride can wear two garters on one leg or on different ones - it doesn't matter.

Options and ideas

Since traditions can be changed, some newlyweds do so, looking for interesting ideas, some of which then take root among the rest.

For instance, many brides wear two garters at once, one of which, "happy", the groom throws to the bachelors, and the second is intended for himself.

Such a detail is called honey and is removed during the wedding night.

Some believe that the hero of the occasion must certainly sew this detail of her image with her own hands. So she will be able to put her soul into the process and charge the little thing with her own positive energy, which will attract the same happiness to the life of a successful bachelor.

We found out what the bride's leg garter is for. Whether or not to apply a specific tradition to own wedding- a private matter for each couple who decide to get married.

If the bride and groom decide to abandon the garter-tossing ritual, so be it.

You should not be led by fashion if it is not fun.

When removing the accessory from the leg of his beloved, the groom needs to concentrate so that the bride has no reason to be embarrassed because of the overly raised skirt. If the girl put on two garters at once, which she did not tell her betrothed, then you need to remove the lower one, since the upper one is considered honey. If the young man still cannot find an accessory because of the numerous petticoats, then you should just ask the bride to help with this.

So, why does a bride need a leg garter - it is both a romantic and spicy accessory, so many girls tend to use it in their image. In addition to providing an attractive look, this detail will also diversify the celebration, give positive emotions to all guests, and bachelors in particular.

There is hardly a person who would not know about the existence of a cheerful wedding competition, during which every single girl dreams of catching a bridal bouquet, and a single guy dreams of her garter. And if with feminine logic everything is all right (which of Eve's daughters does not dream of meeting her prince?), then in men, most likely, the ancient instinct of the hunter speaks. Indeed, the one who caught this intimate detail of the bride's dress becomes for some time a hero in the eyes of the guests attending the wedding - of course, because he is the most dexterous, successful, lucky! The fact that the possession of a coveted wedding attribute can result in the loss of bachelor's freedom for a lucky man within a year, few people think. Grandma's tales, - the lucky one will brush aside. And completely in vain.

Not a dress, not a coat or a jacket

The song "Straw Hat" performed by the unforgettable Andrei Mironov seems to many to be frivolous, and nevertheless its lines have scattered around the world, becoming catch phrases. A wedding garter, like a hat, at first glance, is just a trifle. A piece of lace rag. But without her it is impossible to imagine the end of the wedding evening, when a frivolous little thing turns into an oracle predicting the future.

And what does it actually represent? Once upon a time, when girls wore stockings instead of elastic tights with a supportive effect, an object was invented with which the stocking was held on the leg of the damsel, namely, a garter, which was an elastic band or ribbon. Garters of noble ladies were real works of art from the finest lace, satin ribbons and even diamonds, which modern brides are successfully replacing with rhinestones, beads and sequins.

Time passed, hosiery production did not stand still, and now a belt with elastic bands as a way of attaching the stockings sends the garter to a well-deserved rest, and then the stockings themselves (homegrown, rough) become a relic of the past, a thing from the grandmother's chest. And, nevertheless, the garter continues to exist, comfortably sitting on the seductive legs of the brides. It is no longer a functional part. female wardrobe, but without it, a wedding is not a wedding.

Wedding garter: what should it be?

Today it would never occur to anyone to equate a wedding garter with an elastic band that supports a stocking. A sophisticated romantic accessory, gentle, like the flap of a butterfly's wings, and at the same time piercingly sexy, it perfectly harmonizes with the look of modern brides. Whatever materials are involved in the birth process of this airy little thing - lace and satin, guipure and silk, velvet and velor, and rhinestones, sequins, beads, beads, bows, ribbons, fabric flowers, buckles, brooches and even ... down and feathers!

A close acquaintance with the process of making a garter is surprising - it turns out that all the work consists in sheathing with elegant and light materials an ordinary elastic band, skillfully decorating it. Skillful hands of craftswomen transform pieces of fabric, lace and shiny knick-knacks into a real work of art.

As a rule, the bride has to choose between a narrow and wide garter, and if the width of the first is 3-4 cm, then the second is 2 times wider. But how to pick color range this accessory? This is not an idle question, since the attention of many guests will be focused on this particular detail of the bride's dress, put on display.

Better, of course, to focus on the color of the wedding dress. So, a classic dress in white or cream colors requires a garter of the same color, symbolizing innocence and purity. The garter carries the same meaning. of blue color, she is chosen by brides in whose outfit there are elements of this shade. The red color of this accessory not only symbolizes passionate love, but also brings good luck to the young. The romance of the bride's nature will perfectly emphasize pink, and gold will ensure well-being and wealth. However, the color of the garter can even be determined by a satin ribbon of the corresponding shade, sewn onto snow-white lace.

In the old days, the color range of wedding garters was wide enough, a strict "taboo" was imposed only on purple and yellow colors, because the first is the lot of kings, and the second symbolized the priestesses of love. Today, all prohibitions have been lifted, and girls whose wedding falls on the bright colors of summer can choose a garter of any shade, the main thing is that it should be in harmony with the bride's shoes and bouquet and correspond to the general style of the upcoming celebration.

The garter is the place!

A long time ago, when the garter was a functional thing, the girls walking down the aisle did not have the question, which for the most part worries modern brides - which leg to wear a garter on? Well, of course, both, our great-great-great-grandmothers would answer.

Today, the bride, as a rule, stocks up on two garters, copying the custom that exists among North American brides, who do not consider it possible to deprive the groom of the pleasure of removing this piquant little thing from the beautiful leg of his beloved in silence and solitude. Therefore, the first garter, called "happy", goes to the most dexterous bachelor of those present and is placed on the right leg just above the knee. The second garter - "honey" is hidden 10 cm higher than the first and is not intended for public viewing. It is this graceful little thing that will become a reward for the young spouse, who must keep it until the day of the golden wedding. It is believed that after the garter with a sweet name has left the leg of its mistress, the honeymoon begins.

What other garter-related issues haunt brides?

- Should you wear a garter on your bare leg or prefer tights, as an option - stockings with silicone stripes?

There are no restrictions here, the choice remains with the bride, the main thing is that she is comfortable and comfortable. If the garter is placed over stockings or tights, its elastic should squeeze the leg more strongly, otherwise the spicy detail will slide off the slippery stocking at the most inopportune moment.

Is it mandatory to wear a garter on your leg all day or just before the ceremony?

This question is also left to the discretion of the bride, and if the garter is pressing, it is not necessary to wear it in the morning.

What about brides who choose short wedding dresses?

Indeed, there is something to think about, because it is believed that such an intimate detail should not be displayed. In this case, you can either completely do without a garter, or put it on in the right moment... Extravagant brides can complement the bold look of a girl without complexes with an elegant garter in a conspicuous place. In order not to look vulgar, you should choose a stylish garter without lace, which many people associate with lingerie.

When it is time "H" or Mini-striptease at the wedding

Finally, the wedding cake is cut, the banquet is coming to an end, and soon it will be time for the happy newlyweds to leave the party. Then it's time for the garter and the wedding bouquet to find their new owners. According to the tradition borrowed by Russians in the West, the groom throws the garter first, although, in principle, the sequence of actions does not matter - if desired, the bride can throw the bouquet first.

But before the garter is in the groom's hand, he must remove it. To do this, the bride sits on a chair or puts a leg on a chair, and the groom slightly raises the hem of the dress and finds the first garter (the main thing is not to mix it up!), After which he carefully straightens the lace ring to loosen the elastic, and slowly removes it from the young wives with hands or teeth. As soon as the garter is in the hands of the new husband, he turns his back to his friends, standing behind him in a semicircle, and throws the garter. It should be borne in mind that the air accessory is too light, and therefore the groom needs to try to make the object fly to its destination, and not land side by side.

Relatively new tradition throwing a bouquet and a garter took root on Russian soil, and both objects, not inclined to flying in ordinary life, fly merrily into the crowd of unmarried friends, divided by gender.

Happy owners of a garter and a bouquet perform a dance in front of the assembled guests, sometimes a man puts a trophy garter on the girl's leg. In order to avoid overlaps and unpleasant situations, do not force the owner of the garter to dance with another girl if he did not come to the wedding alone. Let him dance with his beloved, because the main thing is not the exact observance of traditions, but good mood all those present at the wedding.

Learning to do it beautifully

What to do so that the picture does not look vulgar from the outside? There is no need to overplay, let go of ambiguous jokes and joke. Appropriate serving will allow for a garter episode fun entertainment without a shadow of vulgarity.

The following tips will help you with this:

If the girl is embarrassed by the whole idea of ​​removing the garter, the ceremony can take place according to a simplified program: the bride herself will remove the garter and give it to the groom. Further - according to the above scenario.

To the groom entangled in too fluffy skirts, the bride herself should help, so as not to make the guests languish in awkward anticipation.

If there are a lot of elderly people among those invited, it is worth omitting the episodes with raising the skirt and, even more so, not removing the garter with your teeth, which is more suitable for a purely youth party. In this case, the sooner the garter is removed, the better. The only exception is the photographer, if you want this historic moment to be captured for future generations.

Wedding garter: to throw or not to throw?

What if the bride and groom would like to observe the traditions, but the need to remove an intimate object in front of everyone makes them doubt the expediency of the ceremony?

In this case, the following options should be considered:

To omit the striptease scene, having taken out a prepared garter, and toss it to the groom's single friends,

Replace the garter with any other suitable item - the flower taken from the bride's bouquet, the groom's boutonniere.

You can also simply remove this item from the program - believe me, this does not affect anything, and the wedding will be no less memorable than those of your friends and acquaintances who performed the ceremony with a garter in compliance with all the details.

Rites and traditions: fetishism in action or a piece of happiness as a keepsake?

As you know, in ancient times people attached special importance to all kinds of rituals and rituals. Among such mysterious magical actions was the wedding. Today it is impossible to establish who exactly in the distant Middle Ages came up with the theory that a piece of the bride's wedding dress brings happiness and good luck to the house. A person is always susceptible to freebies and will never give up the opportunity to get the Bird of Happiness, especially since there is no need to make special efforts to this.

Therefore, walking at the wedding, all the guests were just waiting for the end of the celebration in order to pounce on the poor bride and take home the scraps of the wedding dress. Fortunately, someone sane was found who "corrected" the wild traditions of our distant ancestors. To keep the bride's outfit safe and sound, the emphasis was shifted towards a small intimate detail - a garter, the value of which has increased many times over.

At first, the responsibility of removing such a valuable thing for many from the newlywed was assigned to one of the guests. But, apparently, this state of affairs did little to suit the groom (still, in public, in the presence of a legitimate husband, a stranger climbs under his wife's skirt!), And then the young husband himself began to fulfill this honorable mission.

Sometimes the ritual was carried out in the presence of numerous witnesses, or the youth simply fled to the house of the groom, who threw a thing that brought good luck into the crowd from the doorway. Today it's just a fun episode of the wedding that cheers up the guests. It is worth noting that it is not all over the world that it is customary to throw intimate objects around, as the Americans do, and after them the Russians. The gallant French are organizing a kind of auction, and many men attending the wedding consider it an honor for themselves to buy a garter that belongs to beautiful girl evenings.

He made her respect or the Order of the Garter

Many have probably heard about the existence of such an order, but few are aware of the historical background of its birth.

Back in 1348, King Edward III of England gave a ball, attended by representatives of the most noble families. While dancing with the king, the Countess of Salisbury lost her garter, which, apparently, did not fit very tightly on her leg. This incident threatened to turn the king's mistress into an object of ridicule on the part of the courtiers who were sharp-tongued.

The king instantly appreciated the situation and made a decision - to make the intimate detail of the women's dress become an object of worship for his subjects. Who would have thought then that the courtiers, who made fun of the royal mistress, would dream of the Order of the Garter, seeing it in their sweetest dreams?

The resourceful Edward III defused the situation at the ball by tying the fallen garter on his leg - who would dare laugh at the king? And on April 23 of the same year, a royal decree was signed establishing the Order of the Garter. Its peculiarity was that the number of living members of the order is limited - only 25 people, including the king himself, and the decision on the award is made exclusively by the monarch.

The order went down in history as the noblest, highest knightly insignia of Great Britain, and it was considered a great honor to receive it from the hands of the king. Men wore the award below the left knee, attaching it with a gold buckle, and women (they were also accepted as knights of the order) pinned it on their left arm, below the shoulder.

The Russian monarchs, Alexandra (from 1st to 3rd) and Nicholas (I and II), were also awarded this insignia. It is interesting that Peter I, who so actively implanted Western traditions in Russia, abandoned the Order of the Garter bestowed on him, establishing "in opposition" to the British a domestic analogue - the Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called.

The names of M. Thatcher and J. Major, Crown Prince Charles and Prince William, King of Spain Juan Carlos I and Emperor of Japan Akihito, as well as many other famous political figures of our time and the most august persons are forever inscribed in the history of the order.

What conclusion follows from this? The same subject can be the object of greasy anecdotes and awe. The only thing that needs to be taken into account is to serve such a spicy dish as the rite of throwing the garter, it should be under the right sauce, and then your the wedding will take place"with a bang."

Themselves with a mustache: a workshop on making a garter

And now the time has come to remember the labor lessons at school, when from practically nothing - threads, a piece of fabric, beads, a beautiful dress for a doll, an embroidered napkin or knitted scarf... How long has it been ...

However, among the girls there are many needlewomen who did not even think to part with their favorite pastime. But even those of the fair sex who are not friends with a sewing machine, preferring to buy everything ready-made, can easily make a wedding garter within an hour.

You ask - why is it necessary? Yes, at least save the wedding budget, because it is not rubber. A trifle, but nice. In addition, the bridal garter made by the hands of the bride is unique in its kind, and you cannot buy another one like this in a store. Having invested all your love in the manufacture of this little thing, you will bring joy to your future husband and enjoy yourself.

And, who knows, perhaps this process will captivate you so much that you will also want to make a second garter - "honey", which will be carefully kept for many years as the most valuable relic of your family. Agree - it's nice to know that no one has touched her except you and your beloved. It is only your thing that will carry the aura of your love for a long time to come. It’s not for nothing that they say that objects also have memory.

Those who do not want to do needlework can go to the salon to choose a garter, and we will prepare all the essentials:
- soft wide elastic band,
- scissors, ruler, glue,
- needles, threads, pins,
- satin ribbon,
- wide and narrow laces,
- all sorts of things from your girl's box: beads, beads, sequins, ribbons, brooches.

If something is missing, go to the store. Is everything finally ready? Then let's get started!
1. We take the elastic in our hands and wrap it around the thigh in the very place where we are going to wear the garter. Adjust the tension of the elastic so that it does not slip or crush. Once comfort is achieved, pin the elastic with a pin, stepping back slightly at the same time.
2. Mark the place where the pin is attached with a pencil.
3. We retreat a little more (about a centimeter) so that you can sew the elastic, and cut it off.
Here you may be tempted to cut a little more, and then another, because you are going to lose weight before the wedding, besides, your legs are much slimmer than the measured piece of elastic shows. You should not do this, because no one sees you now. The garter will fit perfectly, so we continue.
4. Laces of different widths are measured by the length of the elastic, and then add another 20 cm.
This is necessary in order to sew the lace to the elastic band slightly gathered, to obtain beautiful flounces.
5. We put lace pieces on top of each other, wider at the bottom, on top - those that are narrower.
You should get something like a lace cascade, which we have seen more than once on beautiful ladies and brave musketeers in film adaptations of the works of Alexandre Dumas.
6. Connect the laces with pins and pin the ends of the lace to the ends of the elastic using needles. You can also lightly sweep them with thread so that needles and pins are not needed.
7. Stretching the elastic, pin the middle of the lace.
8. Continuing to act in the same spirit, we fasten the gathered laces with needles, not forgetting to stretch the elastic at the same time. Pay attention to the uniformity of the assembly.
Our goal is to make the lace and elastic stretch in sync. Otherwise, the garter may be small or squeeze the leg very hard.
9. Owners sewing machines occupy a place near this unit, the rest continue to sew by hand. We sew lace to the elastic, simultaneously taking out the needles that hold the product together.
Everything, the main work is done. If you plan to run a string of beads (beads) over the product, we repeat the already familiar actions: stretch the elastic band, pin the thread with needles (we sweep it with threads), and then finally sew it on.
10. We connect the ends of the elastic and sew them securely, if we do not want to lose the garter at the most inopportune moment, like the Countess of Salisbury at the ball.
11. Using threads or glue, we fix all kinds of decorations on the product - satin bows, brooches and everything that your imagination tells you.

If you want a satin ribbon in the middle of the garter, make the following changes to the procedure. We put laces on top of each other (wide to narrow) and sew in the middle. Sew on a satin ribbon on the front side, which will close the seam. From the seamy side, also in the middle, we sew an elastic band, which at the same time we stretch it slightly to obtain uniform shuttlecocks. We decorate the product with the same rhinestones, beads, sequins. Satin bows from a narrow ribbon can be sewn or glued.

And a very simple method of making a garter can be recommended to those who find it difficult to follow the procedure described above, associated with the need to evenly sew the lace gathered to the stretchable elastic band.

To do this, you will need two pieces of a narrow satin ribbon, the length of which is slightly longer than the elastic band cut off at the beginning. Sew lace to one of the pieces of satin ribbon, wide on one side, narrow on the other. Then we sew this satin ribbon with the second one of the same piece. Stretch an elastic band between the ribbons and securely fasten the edges of the product. Everything, the garter is ready, you can try on. We described above how to decorate it.

Before you is a real wedding garter made with your own hands. We hope you enjoyed the creative process. And an exquisite, unique, fabulous beauty garter will look forward to the day and hour when it takes its place on the slender leg of its mistress.

The garter is a must-have for the bride's wedding look. We will tell you what it is, why you need it, how to wear and take it off correctly. You will know when to throw this accessory and what kind of music to choose. In addition, we will answer the questions of what awaits the one who catches the garter, how much it costs and how much it will cost to make it with your own hands.

A wedding garter is an elegant accessory that the bride wears on her leg slightly above the knee. In the past, she carried a functional load - she supported the woman's stockings. Having lost its original purpose, this accessory remained in the bride's wedding wardrobe as a tribute to tradition.

Garter - an elastic band of fabric, more often white, decorated with lace, embroidery, bows or rhinestones. You can choose from satin, silk or satin, any color, with or without patterns.

Why do you need a garter

Here are some reasons why brides follow custom :

• Surprise... This detail of the wedding dress is hidden by the dress, so this is a great opportunity for the bride to surprise her partner.
• Image... She makes brides feel sexy. Nice dress and shoes, perfect hairstyle and makeup, a stylish accessory complements and completes the bride's image.
• Memory... It can be saved as a reminder of a wonderful day and created family tradition handing over to daughter on her wedding day.
• Customs... The tradition of throwing the garter has turned into a fun wedding party in which all guests are happy to take part.

How to dress for a wedding

This detail of the wedding dress is worn 7-15 cm above the knee, and here's why:

• This is the thinnest part of the leg, so there will be no uncomfortable rubbing against the other leg when walking.
• So blood circulation is not disturbed.
• If you are planning to throw an accessory to guests, the groom will not have to look for it long under the skirt.
• This way, you don't need to raise the hem of the dress too high to take beautiful photographs. Do you want them to work well? Then it's worth finding out! We wrote about this in our other article.

A garter tied with ribbons is far from the best solution. To prevent it from slipping, the tape must be pulled tightly, and this is not good for blood circulation.

Traditionally, garters are worn on the right leg, but there are no superstitions here, focus on your own preferences.

As for the number of accessories, in North America, the newlywed wears two garters at a distance of an outstretched palm. The bottom one is "happy", her fiancé will leave single men, and the upper one is "honey", it remains for the newlyweds as a keepsake.

If you want to get a complete image, then, in addition to the garter, you may need it. In this article you can read about what it should be made of, what dimensions it can have, how to choose it according to the type of figure and tie it beautifully.

You can also order a garter at the Fair of Masters self made trimmed with lace and stones. You can do this here: livemaster.ru.

How much can it cost to make an accessory yourself? Let's calculate: You will need about 300 rubles. You will need to buy lace (50-100 rubles), a satin ribbon - about the same, threads - about 40 rubles. The rest can be spent on jewelry - rhinestones, beads and bows.

Here is another option for taking off and throwing the bride, this time everything is cultural: the groom takes off the garter with his hands.

This is how it happens: such a small accessory becomes very important at a wedding!

A wedding is the most exciting and anticipated event in the life of any girl, on this day everything should go perfectly, for this celebration they have been preparing for more than one month. Not so long ago, an interesting element appeared in the wedding ceremony of our country - the bride's garter. This seductive little thing did not come out of nowhere, it has a specific history and purpose.

The history of the origin of the tradition

The very word "garter" came to us from French as are the names of many other exquisite wardrobe items. Earlier, in XVIII-XX centuries, the garter was only of practical importance. At the time of balls, when men did not yet wear trousers and women did not know about tights, garters were used by both women and men to support the lower part of their trousers. Gradually, this wardrobe item began to serve as a symbol of elegance, and even in those days it was considered a very seductive item.

Gradually, when society received elastic stockings with a sewn-in elastic band and tights, the need for garters disappeared. For some time they were forgotten, and they calmly lived out their days in old chests. But gradually the fashion remembered about these forgotten heroes, and they again took pride of place on the girls' feet, only this time as an aesthetic addition to the image.

The use of a garter for a bride began in the United States, and in the 90s of the last century, when our compatriots began to adopt various traditions from the West, it became an integral part of Russian weddings.

Wedding tradition

Previously, it was believed that happiness will come to those guests at the wedding who manage to pick up an item, preferably a piece of the bride's or groom's clothes. Therefore, everyone tried to literally tear off a piece from the bride's dress. Why was it necessary? Such a "souvenir" brought home was considered the threshold of the greatest happiness. Reasonably indignant about this, the girls came up with an alternative - a wedding garter, it looks beautiful and the guests do not mind giving it back. In America, this established tradition is treated very reverently, there is even a certain number of rules:

1. The bride puts on not one, but two garters at once on her right leg, one above the knee, the other one palm above the first. The lower one is removed by the groom during a festive evening and rushes to unmarried men. The young man who catches the garter will visit the registry office next time as a groom. The second garter remains on the bride's leg until the wedding night. Subsequently, it is carefully stored and is called "honey".
2. According to our custom, first the bride throws the bouquet to the unmarried girls, and the one who catches it will be the next to marry. Only then the garter is thrown, usually at the end of the evening. In America, on the contrary, young men compete first, and only then girls.
3. The groom carefully takes the bride in his arms and carries her to the middle of the hall, where she puts on a chair. Then, without lifting the dress too much, but "diving" under it, he must pull this piece of clothing off the leg of his beloved with his teeth and also throw it with his teeth towards the bachelors, standing with his back to them. In our country, the groom often removes the garter with his hands.
4. When the bride throws her bouquet to the girls, the young man who caught the garter puts it on the leg of the girl who caught the bouquet, after which the two of them dance. It is believed that later this couple will also become spouses.

In our country, there are no specific rules, everything is done to taste. It is not even fundamental which leg the accessory will be on, you can put it on the right or on the left, or two garters on one leg, you can even have one on each leg - it is up to the bride to decide.

But this tradition is by no means new; it began in the 16th century in England. Then, during one of the balls, King Edward III saw how the lady of his heart, the Countess of Salisbury, dropped the ribbon from his leg, which he hurried to pick up. Seeing the grins of the courtiers, the king tied a ribbon on his own leg and made a speech in which he proclaimed his lady's accessory a symbol of good luck in love. Subsequently, King Edward established the Order of the Garter, which is still Britain's highest honor for dedication and valor.

According to even earlier customs of the barbarian peoples, at the wedding, the groom tossed the ribbon of his bride in the air in order to distract the attention of the guests and get the opportunity to retire with his beloved.

Thus, tossing a wedding garter has gone way through the centuries, and today it is a revered tradition that no wedding can do without.

Types of wedding garters

In modern society, there are countless different garters for every taste and color, but when choosing only one of them, the bride's eyes run up. The most important rule is that the garter must be neat and beautiful, because at the end of the evening all guests will see it, and one of them will take it with him and keep it. In addition, the garter should be combined with the general image of the bride, ideally, if you follow the traditions, it should be blue, as a symbol of purity and purity.

Garters can be wide or narrow. Usually the one that rushes to bachelors is much more magnificent and shocking than the one that remains on the bride's leg until the wedding night. A wide garter usually consists of several laces different colors matching the color of the bride's dress or shoes. It is decorated with various beads, bows, etc. A thin garter often consists of a single ribbon with small inserts of jewelry.

You can buy a garter at bridal salons or lingerie stores. The price for them varies in a fairly wide range, it all depends on the material from which it is made, the brand of the manufacturer, as well as on the prestige of the salon.

If you don't want to spend money on a garter or want to add a piece of your personality to it, there is an alternative option - you can sew the garter yourself. In addition, this method will allow you to pay tribute to tradition and show you with better side as a hardworking and creative girl.

DIY garter making

Sewing this accessory yourself is not difficult and does not require large costs. First, you will need to decide on the desired style and design, and then buy all the necessary parts. To work you will need the following materials:

• elastic;
• lace;
• satin ribbons;
• glue and scissors;
• various decorative ornaments.

First, you will need to measure the circumference of the thigh in the place where the garter will be located. To do this, wrap the elastic around the leg at the height where you plan to place it at the wedding and fix it, then mark with a pencil where the two ends meet. After that, cut the desired length of the elastic, adding 1 cm on each side as allowances. Usually the elastic is cut with a length slightly less than the girth of the thigh so that it is firmly attached to the leg, but the lace is 1.5-2 times longer for a beautiful assembly.

Next, you need to attach the elastic to the lace, while it must be in constant tension so that the necessary assemblies are formed. If you want to make a garter from several types of lace, you must first fasten them with pins, and only then attach the elastic.

The base for the garter is ready, all that remains is to decorate it as you wish. You can make neat bows or flowers from thin ribbons, sew on beads, forming some kind of pattern from them, etc., here you can give free rein to your imagination.

Recently, themed weddings have become fashionable, for example, in gothic style or in carnival style. If you are planning to arrange a celebration, adhering to a certain theme, the garter can also be decorated in this style, this will give it additional elegance and value for the subsequent owner. By the way, in the old days, girls embroidered a certain meaningful phrase on a garter, for example, "There is nothing more for you to look for here" or "I wish you to find your beloved", etc.

The bride's garter definitely plays a significant role in the celebration. Any young man, no matter how an inveterate bachelor he is, will be incredibly happy to bring home such a valuable accessory. Many men keep the caught garter until their wedding, and some after it. Following this tradition, you disinterestedly share with a loved one, faithful friend or good friend a piece of his newfound happiness, and he, in turn, will keep in his soul pleasant memories of your wedding.

In the life of every lover, the wedding day is always a long-awaited and very exciting holiday. Many brides wear elegant garters on their legs on this day. The lace attribute is used to fulfill a well-known tradition - tossing this accessory, but does everyone know what the meaning of this custom is, and on which leg to wear a garter for a bride to attract good luck?

To make the celebration bright and memorable, you need to take a responsible approach to organizing the event: make a list of guests, choose a place for a feast, think over an original program, decide on a menu and, of course, prepare outfits and decorations.

What are wedding traditions for?

Wedding ceremonies in Russia were an integral part of any marriage. Each ritual had a special meaning and a secret meaning. Traditions were sacredly revered and observed strictly in a certain order. It was believed that the young, following the foundations, are on the right path. If the customs were violated, then the marriage was recognized as imperfect. People were convinced that performing the rituals would bring success and prosperity to the bride and groom, and neglecting them would attract trouble, illness and misfortune.

Over time, many rituals have changed, simplified and acquired a slightly different meaning. More often holiday traditions are entertaining and playful. Despite this, most newlyweds continue to believe that following the wedding foundations is the key to strong love, a happy union and a successful life, therefore, a rare celebration takes place without the ransom of the bride, exchange of rings, a festive feast and other well-known rituals.

Purpose of the accessory

Since ancient times, women have used garters exclusively in Everyday life to maintain the stockings on the legs. They were worn just above the knees and hidden from prying eyes under long dresses and skirts. Gradually, the purpose of this item has changed, and now the garter is, first of all, a stylish accessory for the bride's wedding image. It is only worn on the day of marriage to perform unusual tradition- throwing this attribute into a crowd of unmarried men.

The history of the emergence of the tradition of throwing the garter goes back to the distant Middle Ages. In European countries, there was a belief: if you touch successful person, or better - to get a piece of his clothes, you can get luck. The bride was considered a lucky person, so everyone tried to take possession of a piece of her outfit.

Interesting! In Russia, this ritual appeared relatively recently, but has already managed to fall in love with many newlyweds and is actively carried out at most wedding ceremonies.

The essence of the custom is as follows: at the end of the festive feast, when the bride has already parted with her bouquet, the groom removes the garter from her leg with both hands, while single men are called to the center of the hall.

When everyone is gathered, the groom turns his back to the unmarried young men and throws the attribute of his beloved over his shoulder. The guests' task is to catch the lucky accessory ahead of the others. It is believed that a man who has acquired the attribute will soon get married.

V different countries the garter rite is carried out and interpreted in slightly different ways. For example, in France, people are convinced that a guest who takes possession of an accessory is lucky and during the whole holiday he will be surrounded by the most beautiful girls.

In the countries of America, according to custom, a successful young man with an accessory needs to dress it to a girl who caught a bouquet, and then invite him to dance.

What does it symbolize

It is customary for a bride to wear two garters at once on her wedding day: one will be thrown by the groom to determine the lucky one who will get married soon, the second will be taken off by the beloved during the first wedding night. It is then stored as a family treasure. Therefore, the girl will have to decide whether she needs a bride's garter and on which leg to wear this accessory.

Few people know that this piece of outfit should be worn in accordance with certain rules. The garter intended for guests should be on the bride's right leg just above the knee. The attribute that will be dropped after the end of the feast must be put on the left leg, stepping back a couple of palms from the knee. Each garter on the leg of the bride has its own special meaning.

A beautiful accessory on the right leg is a symbol of success for a young couple and a man who will become its owner. The garter that adorns the left leg embodies the mystery of the first night and is associated with the girl's purity and innocence, which she loses after removing this item.

Modern traditions only allow one accessory to be thrown to guests at the end of the evening. Therefore, it is better to decide in advance on which leg the bride's garter is to be worn. It's good if it is worn on the girl's right leg. Only in this way will the wedding attribute be charged with positive energy and become a talisman of good luck for its future owner.

Additional Information

A little more information in the end.

Wedding garter - stylish detail holiday dress the bride. The lace element of clothing is used for a popular ritual - throwing a garter. It is believed that a man who gets this accessory will soon create a strong marriage with his beloved. The garter worn by the bride on her right leg will bring happiness not only to the single guest, but also to the young couple in their future family life.